Device for introducing values into a calculating machine, having a reduced keyboard

ABSTRACT

A device for introducing values into a calculating machine has a simplified keyboard with only 10 keys, each bearing a different digit. A control member is connected to each of the keys and a positioning member is connected to one end of the control member. A side plate follows the movement of the control member and has a retaining member on one end. Two shafts parallel to each other are mounted on the device, and a registering device with movable teeth is loosely mounted on one of the shafts for movement lengthwise of the shaft. A rack bar engages with one end of the registering device and extends in the direction of the associated shaft. An escapement member is rigidly mounted on the other shaft and engages with the rack bar to limit the movement of the registering device. The escapement and the retaining member cause the stepwise advance of the intermediate registering device. The positioning member is placed in the path of the movable member corresponding to the control member of the depressed key during the movement of the registering device lengthwise of its associated shaft. As a result, the movable member is displaced from its rest position into its operating position upon that movement of the registering device.

United States Patent Inventor Andre Kollv 3,169,701 2/1965 Dombrowski 235/145 1 N g g g 3,430,226 2/1969 Chow et al 234/145 [Zl A 1 o. ,1 [22: FiYe d Aug. 26, 1969 :rirnary Eg'amirrer- Rsichzird \ll/illldnson 45 paemed A H) [971 381510"! xammertan ey a 13 Assignee Kabushiki Kaisha Ricoh & Thompson Tokyo, Japan [32] Pnomy Sept 1968 ABSTRACT: A device for introducing values into a calculat- [33] Switzerland [3] 1 13 207/68 mg machme has a simpllfied keyboard with only l0 keys, each bearing a different di it. A control member is connected to 8 each of the keys and a positioning member is connected to one [54] DEVCE FOR INTRODUCING VALUES INTO A end of the control member. A side plate follows the movement of the control member and has a retaining member on one CALCULATING MACHINE, HAVING A REDUCED KEYBOARD end. Two shafts parallel to each other are mounted on the 1 Chin, Drawing Figs. device, and a registering device with movable teeth is loosely mounted on one of the shafts for movement lengthwise of the US. haft ,A rack bar engages with one end of the registering 235/60 TK device and extends in the direction of the associated shaft. An [5 l 1 Int. Cl G( l4b 5/20 gscapemem member is rigidly mounted on the other shaft and Field ofsealch 235/ TK, g with the rack bar to limit the movement of the 60161 gistering device. The escapement and the retaining member cause the stepwise advance of the intermediate registering [56] References Cited device. The positioning member is placed in the path of the UNITED STATES PATENTS movable member corresponding to the control member of the 2,697,552 12/1954 Buzzi 235/145 depressed key during the movement of the registering device 2,975,971 3/l96l Schenk 235/60 lengthwise of its associated shaft. As a result, the movable 3,0l7,463 1/1962 Dinsmore et al. 235/ M5 X member is displaced from its rest position into its operating 3,152,759 l0/l964 May 235/145 position upon that movement of the registering device.

1 8 11 1 5 2 I 6 1=---- p Q l E 11 1 '1 1 1 ll '9 E 11 1 1| 1 1 11 11.1 11,11 11,111129 I H 1 f 6" I l 1 I 1 1 1 l 1' II I H I ll 1| f DEVICE FOR INTRODUCING VALUES INTO A CALCULATING MACHINE, HAVING A REDUCED KEYBOARD The present invention concerns a device for introducing values into a calculating machine comprising a reduced keyboard with 10 keys, each of which actuates a control member, and an intermediate registering device formed by rotatable elements, each nine members movable between a rest position and an operating position, characterized in that each control member is connected mechanically on the one hand to a member for positioning the movable member corresponding to the control number carried by the key operated and carried by the rotatable element of the intermediate registering device located in the registering position, and, on the other hand, to an escapement and retaining device causing the stepwise advance of the intermediate registering device, and characterized in that the depression of a key places the corresponding positioning member in the path of the movable member corresponding to the control number of the depressed key during its translatory movement, such that said movable member is displaced from its'rest position into its operating position upon said translatory movement of the registering device.

The accompanying drawing shows in diagrammatic form by way of example part of an embodiment of the device according to the invention. However, in order to avoid unnecessary complication of the drawing, only one of the nine transmission devices corresponding to each of the 10 keys carrying the digits to 9 is shown in the drawing, whereas the totalizer and the transfer device for transferring to the totalizer the values registered in the intermediate registering device are not shown.

FIG. '1 is a plan view of the introduction device, the keyboard and the intermediate registering device of the embodiment,

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken along the line Il-ll of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a detail view on a larger scale of a rack bar and its escapement device,

FIG. 5 shows a key of the keyboard seen from below.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a reduced keyboard formed by keys 1, each of which is provided on the one hand with one of the digits 0 to 9 impressed or engraved on its upper face and, on the other hand, three slots 2 which open onto its lower face. One of the slots 2 of each of the keys 1 is engaged on alug 3 which is integral with a control member 4 held in its rest position by a spring 37 (FIG. 3). This arrangement on the one hand permits easy coding as each key can be rendered integral with one or another of three control members and, on the other hand, enables the space taken up by the keyboard to be reduced, while having keys which are of sufficient size for easy operation.

One end 5 of each control member 4 slides in a corresponding guide formed in the frame 6 of the calculating machine. The other end 7 of each control member 4 is in the shape ofa ring segment; the ends 7 of the control members 4 corresponding to the keys of the keyboard with the digits 1 to 9 are each provided on their external periphery with a tooth construction 8. These tooth constructions 8 are disposed along a helix so that the tooth construction 8 of the end 7 of each control member 4 occupies a given angular position. The tooth constructions 8 of the ends 7 cooperate with corresponding riders 9, each of which is pivotable about a corresponding shaft 10 which passes through each ring segment through an aperture 11.

The ends 7 of the control members 4 corresponding to the key of the keyboard having the digit 0 are in the shape of a ring segment and are each provided with an aperture 11. However they do not carry any tooth construction and they do not have any corresponding rider 9.

In another embodiment (not shown), the ends 7 of the control members 4 corresponding to the key of the keyboard with the digit 0 could carry a tooth construction 8 which cooperates with a corresponding rider 9. Such an embodiment is of advantage in printing machines, as it is necessary to differentiate the introduction of the digit 0 from the neutral position of the printing segment, that is from the position occupied by this segment when the operator has not carried out any introduction operation.

Each of the nine shafts 10 is rigidly fixed at its two ends to the frame 6 of the calculating machine. Any longitudinal movement of the riders 9 with respect to the corresponding shafts 10 is prevented by means of stop members 40.

A rack bar 18 has at one of its ends a fork member 19 which is engaged in a groove formed in a disc 20 integral with a hollow shaft 15. The other end of the rack bar 18 carries a guide sliding on a shaft 22. A spring 23 attached at one end to the frame and at the other end to the fork member 19 of the rack bar 18 applies a pulling force to the rack bar 18.

The teeth 24 of the rack bar 18 cooperate with an escapement member 25 and a retaining member 28. The escapement member 25 which is rigidly fixed to the shaft 22 is held in its engaged position by a spring 26 attached at one end to the frame 6 and at the other end to a lever arm 27 mounted rigidly on the shaft 22.

The retaining member 28 is integral with a stirrup member formed by two sideplates 29, each of which is in the shape of a ring segment and has an aperture 11 through which pass the shafts 10. These side plates 29 are connected together by a rod 30. Each sideplate 29 carries a radial arm 31 engaged by a spring 33 which tends to maintain the sideplates 29 in a rest position. The rod 30 abuts against the end face 34 of each of the ends 7 of the control members 4 corresponding to the keys bearing the digits 0 to 9.

The machine includes an intermediate registering device comprising rotatable elements 12, the number of which is equal to the capacity of the machine. Each of these elements 12 carries nine movable teeth 13 distributed uniformly over a part of its periphery and displaceable by the introduction device from a stable rest position to a stable operating position.

Each of the nine movable teeth carried by each of the elements 12 cooperates with the inclined plane 36 of the rider 9 corresponding to the control member actuated by the key bearing the control number corresponding to that of the movable tooth.

Each movable tooth 13 can take up two different positions, a rest position and an operating position. A spring 14 fixed to the periphery of the elements 12 of the intermediate registering device retains the movable tooth in one or the other of these two positions.

The elements 12 of the registering device are fixed rigidly to the hollow shaft 15. The shaft 15 slides axially along a drive shaft 16. The angular position of the hollow shaft 15 with respect to the drive shaft 16 is fixed by a key 17 which is integral with the disc 20 and which slides in a groove 17a formed in the drive shaft 16.

Operation of the above described device is as follows:

Before the values are introduced, the registering device is located in its extreme right-hand position and the nine movable teeth 13 of each of its elements 12 are in their rest position as seen in FIG. 1.

When the operator wishes to introduce the digit 8 for example, he depresses the key of the keyboard bearing this digit. The end 7 of the control member 4 corresponding to the key bearing the digit 8, slides on the shafts 10 and the resulting movement is rotation of the end 7 about an imaginary axis which coincides with the axis of rotation of the intermediate registering device.

The corresponding rider is driven by the tooth construction 8 of the end 7 about its shaft 10 and its inclined plane 36 comes to lie in the path of the movable tooth 13 of the rotatable element 12 in the registering position and corresponding to the control number of the key depressed by the operator.

The end face 34 of the end 7 of the control member corresponding to the key depressed applies a thrust force against the rod 30 of the stirrup member and thus drives it in an angular movement. The end faces 34 of the ends 7 of the control members 4 which are not operated remain in their rest position under the action of the springs 37. The retaining member 28 which is integral with the sideplate 29 of the stirrup member disengages the escapement member 25 from the teeth 24 of the rack bar 18. Under the action of the spring 23, the rack bar l8 moves half a step towards the left (FIG. 1) to come into abutment against the retaining member 28. The rack bar 18 drives the entire intermediate registering device in its translatory movement by way of the fork member 19 cooperating with the groove formed in the disc 20 which is integral with the hollow shaft 15.

In the course of this translatory movement of the intermediate registering device, the movable tooth corresponding to the digit carried by the depressed key encounters the inclined plane 36 of the rider 9 corresponding to the control member actuated by the depressed key. It follows that this movable tooth passes from its rest position into its operating position.

When the operator releases the key bearing the digit 8, the sideplate 29 which are engaged by the spring 33 displace by way of the rod 30 the end face 34 of the end 7 of the control member 4 corresponding to the key bearing the digit 8, and return the control member to its starting position. The retaining member 28 which is integral with the sideplate 29 moves out of engagement with the rack bar 18 which moves forward by a second half step before abutting against the escapement member 25 which has been returned to its position of engagement by the force of the spring 26 which acts on the escapement member 25 through the intermediary of the lever 27 and the shaft 22. The registering device is again driven in this translatory movement of halfa step by the fork member 19.

At the end of such an operating cycle, all the members are in their starting position, except for the registering device.

In fact, the registering device has moved by one step towards the left and the second rotatable element of the device has taken the place of the first rotatable element. This second rotatable element is consequently in the registering position. In addition, the movable tooth 13 of the first rotatable element corresponding to the digit on the key which has just been depressed has been moved into its operating position.

The operator can thus successively register digits on the successive elements of the registering device of the calculating machine. The digit carried by each element of the intermediate registering device is represented by the angular position of the movable tooth set in an operating position.

I claim:

1. Device for introducing values into a calculating machine comprising a. a keyboard with 10 keys,

b. a control member connected to each of the keys,

c. a positioning member connected to one end of said control member,

d. a sideplate which follows the movement of said control member and which has a retaining member on its one end,

e. two shafts parallel to each other and carried by said device,

f. a registering device with movable teeth, which is loosely mounted on one of the said shafts and is movable lengthwise of said one shaft,

g. a rack bar engaged with one end of the said registering device and which extends in the direction of said one shaft,

h. an escapement member which is rigidly mounted on the other shaft and engageswith said rack bar for limiting the movement of the registering device,

i. said escapement and retaining member causing the stepwise advance of the intermediate said registering device and said positioning member being laced in the path of the movable member correspon ing to the control number of the depressed key during said lengthwise movement, whereby said movable member is displaced from its rest position into its operating position upon said lengthwise movement of said registering device. 

1. Device for introducing values into a calculating machine comprising a. a keyboard with 10 keys, b. a control member connected to each of the keys, c. a positioning member connected to one end of said control member, d. a sideplate which follows the movement of said control member and which has a retaining member on its one end, e. two shafts parallel to each other and carried by said device, f. a registering device with movable teeth, which is loosely mounted on one of the said shafts and is movable lengthwise of said one shaft, g. a rack bar engaged with one end of the said registering device and which extends in the direction of said one shaft, h. an escapement member which is rigidly mounted on the other shaft and engages with said rack bar for limiting the movement of the registering device, i. said escapement and retaining member causing the stepwise advance of the intermediate said registering device and said positioning member being placed in the path of the movable member corresponding to the control number of the depressed key during said lengthwise movement, whereby said movable member is displaced from its rest position into its operating position upon said lengthwise movement of said registering device. 